AIIMS refusal to admit 'Naxal sympathiser' to be probed

May 10, 2012 14:45 IST

The central government on Thursday assured Rajya Sabha that it will inquire into the denial of admission by AIIMS of an alleged Naxal sympathiser Soni Sori despite the Supreme Court directing the hospital to medically examine her.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, T N Seema (CPI-M) said Soni was "brutally tortured" in police custody for last one year in Chhattishgarh, a remark which drew sharp reactions from BJP members who opposed raising a subject related to the state in Parliament.

P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, however, said the matter related to a tribal and is within the ambit of the central government.

Seema said she was not talking about the case but about the failure on the part of the AIIMS authorities to admit her despite the Supreme Court order.

"When the Supreme Court has ordered to admit her, on whose authority AIIMS turned her away on May 9?

Why the government has not ordered a high level inquiry into allegations of custodial violence and sexual exploitation?" Seema asked.

She rued that instead of taking actions against the accused policemen, they were given gallantry awards. "The Union government cannot wash its hands off treating it as state matter," she said.

As members from the CPI-M

sought a response from the government, Tribal Affairs Minister Kishore Chandra Deo assured the House that he will get details of the matter and "will surely inquire why the AIIMS did not admit her".

Amid allegations that foreign bodies were thrust into her private parts, the Supreme Court had last week directed AIIMS to medically examine alleged Naxal sympathiser Soni Sori to treat her and ascertain the charges and submit a report to it before July 10.

A

suspected Maoist conduit, Sori has been accused by the police of receiving "protection money" from a company. She was arrested on October 4 in South Delhi by Chhattisgarh police.